from the i'm-not-lonely,-i'm-an-introvert dept.
A brain region called the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) maintains a structured map of a person's social circles, based on closeness. People that struggle with loneliness often perceive a gap between themselves and others. This gap is reflected by the activity patterns of the mPFC.
The researchers had the participants think of different groups of people (self, "close others", acquaintances, and celebrities) while being scanned in an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). The perceived closeness of the subject to the imagined targets were revealed in the scans. Further, the lonelier-feeling participants had reduced perception of similarity to others in all categories.
Journal Reference:
Andrea L. Courtney, Meghan L. Meyer. Self-other representation in the social brain reflects social connection [$], Journal of Neuroscience (DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2826-19.2020)
(Score: 0, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @03:30PM (16 children)
Can we dissect Aristarchus to see if this is true?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @03:37PM (15 children)
How about you too? Sites like this do not help people. They just give them a place to vent. I care not one way or another for this 'Arisarchus' as you do. But you have decided to vent on them too. Perhaps you see the issue?
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @04:54PM (14 children)
Aristarchus is a bully and a jackass. He's one of the worst pieces of shit on the site. I stopped posting under a username because it was such a hassle having his stupid ass constantly posting idiotic responses to my posts. It was a distraction to anybody that was interested in reading my posts, whether or not they agreed with me, to have to wade through his ignorant bullshit because he doesn't understand idioms.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Saturday June 20 2020, @05:46PM (6 children)
Idiots! I don't understand "idiots", not "idioms", you idiot! No wonder you had to stop using your handle, which I remember quite well, since your posts were not interesting to anyone, and you smelled of elderberries. Sorry you are such a white fragile snowflake, and I am happy you have found an AC safezone.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @08:37PM (2 children)
What do you get from the mocking you just did to that person? Feel better? Less alone maybe? Empowered? Maybe review why you mock someone they sit down and remember some comment from months ago. Doing what you just did alienates people and drives them away from this site. They have one foot in the 'nope' on this site. That creates echo chambers. I suggest reviewing why you post. Or not. Do whatever.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @09:54PM
The irony here is that he's just managed to prove the point. He's neither smart enough to be able to respond substantively nor in possession of the judgment necessary to just keep his mouth shut. In the end, he's not particularly well-respected.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by aristarchus on Monday June 22 2020, @02:25AM
I do not tolerate stupidity, and especially willful ignorance! I do not abide the "not too bright", the Trump supporters, the jocks and the Republican politicians from Texas. If such are alienated by my critiques, and driven away from this site, we are all better off. Echo chamber? If we allow those incapable of rational thought to express themselves as if they had viable things to contribute to a debate, we undercut the very possibility of debate. This is why no one argues with Eth, or Runaway, or even khallow (who at least puts up the pretense). I know why I post what I post, and if you do not understand it, maybe you are part of the problem, and you should please shut up until you have something intelligent to say? I hope you enjoyed our little interaction. I causes me great pain to know there are people as stupid as the people you defend, and people who defend them.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @09:52PM
Way to prove my point jackass. And no, you don't understand idioms, idiotese OTOH, should come to you naturally as you're more or less mayor of retardvania.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @10:09PM (1 child)
The other funny thing here is that I wasn't even the one that brought you up, that was somebody else in your anti-fan club. Perhaps take a few minutes to reflect on just how shitty you are as a person that you're one of the most hated people on the site.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 21 2020, @07:38AM
Say that with your real username, you belly-scratching coward! You are more hate than the ancient one! Nobody likes you, and nobody showed up to your Tulsa rally!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday June 20 2020, @10:32PM (6 children)
He's trolling you, you dumb shit. And you keep taking the bait. The thing is, much as I rag on him for his trolling, Ari isn't stupid and can bring some serious philosophical firepower to bear when he puts the effort in. I only wish he hadn't ruined his brand, as it were.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @10:39PM (1 child)
Quit apologizing for him. He's less popular than EF at this point.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday June 22 2020, @01:42PM
So? He brings a shitload more to the table than EF even when he *is* doing nothing but trolling. Popular means jack shit. He's still largely correct when he can be arsed to be serious for 5 minutes at a time.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @11:27PM (1 child)
He retreats into petty insults because he's not so smart as he'd like to appear.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 21 2020, @07:31AM
Head-up-the-ass boot-licking scumsucking Florida-man Key Lime lizard. Problem with being stupid, you don't know you are. Ari is just letting a little bit of light into your private world. (In Greek, the term is
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiot [wikipedia.org] )
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 21 2020, @01:26PM (1 child)
Nope, he's an idiot. My god is he stupid. I'm sorry that you're not bright enough to notice his inability to understand even basic English.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 22 2020, @02:27AM
His first language is Samian Greek, so you have to give him a break as a non-native speaker. And I suspect he is competent in more languages than you know exist, if you are the typical ignorant American.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @03:53PM (2 children)
Loneliness Alters Your Brain's Social Network
Canada?
Yes... water is wet. You don't have to rediscover it.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @05:10PM (1 child)
What loneliness really does, is make you happy by removing all the ignorant jerks from your life. Seriously, being a hermit is vastly underrated.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @05:16PM
i tend to agree. the only time i'm lonely or stressed out is when i have been around people. also, they just keep getting dumber. it's not an ego boost. it's disturbing and depressing, but only when i'm exposed to their toxic stupidity.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @04:38PM (1 child)
something lonely people will not report ('cause lonely) is that socializing alters the brain's network.
just ask any hermit (if you can find them in this time and age were the "brain" network extends into and thru smart phones and computers)?
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @04:56PM
You deserve an Einstein award for that twist.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @05:42PM
But is the effect on the brain natural? How does natural moderate socializing differ from extreme fake socializing through jewish websites? And how does the 96%+ jewish-owned media fit into this?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by martyb on Saturday June 20 2020, @07:37PM (1 child)
It seems to me there are important distinctions to make here.
I can feel lonely or even 'alone' even when surrounded by people. Except for an occasional playoff game, I do not follow sports. I have acquaintances who very much are into sports. They love to talk about the chances for $team this season. About the great goal that $player made. About how bad a call the referees made in the last game. I hear that and I am immediately zoned out. I have as much interest in *that* as they might take in my chatting with a fellow geek about the latest processor from AMD.
I am not saying there is anything wrong with either discussion. Just that there is little-to-no overlap in the areas of interest.
I'd feel similarly if I were visiting an acquaintance who had several family members visiting from out-of-town. Though their shared experiences offer much basis for conversation — between them — I do not have the same foundation and so would feel very much the outsider — alone. Now, if the acquaintance was a lady friend who I wanted to get to know better, I'd make an extra effort to get to know her kin, but I'd still have a feeling of being an outsider.
On the other hand, I might be at, say, a comicon of some sort. First-time attendee. Don't know anybody there. But, a couple minute's chat can often reveal shared perspectives and start a deep conversation. In just a few minutes' time a new friendship can arise.
On the gripping hand, there are times when I would like nothing better than to go off somewhere by myself and experience solitude.
So, 'alone', 'lonely', 'isolated', and 'solitude' are related, but I would argue distinct.
In the research, as I understand it, there are certain regions of the brain that activate more depending on the, ummm, connectedness, that each participant felt towards members of the different groups. Groupings are subject to change, as are all relationships... and my receptivity to make the effort to enter into one.
Part of that effort, it seems, comes from 'rewiring' the brain to accommodate that other person.
(I apologize and ask your forbearance; it's unseasonably hot right now and I'm finding it hard to concentrate. Talking about feelings and about words that express feelings is difficult in the best of circumstances.)
Wit is intellect, dancing.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @10:05PM
There's a definite difference between being "with" people and being "connected to" people. Being with people that you're not connecting to can be even more isolating than knowing that people exist somewhere out there.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 21 2020, @01:48AM
Lack of loneliness reduces brain-space to process thought/feeling, and deludes you into believing that other people are just like you.
Curmudgeons rule!
Now get off my lawn.
(Score: 2) by jmichaelhudsondotnet on Monday June 22 2020, @05:06PM
I mean does this have to be said, that humans are not asocial beings meant to live isolated in a chamber?
That having no friends makes people sad?
How far we have sunk, truly.
Truly.